JP2005270813A - Water softening apparatus and operation method for water softening apparatus - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To reduce pressure loss at the time of flowing water in a water softening apparatus having constitution of serial installation of two or more sets of water softeners. <P>SOLUTION: Two or more sets of the water softeners provided with control valves 11 for switching flow passages are serially installed. The control valve 11 is equipped with a first stop valve 17 at a first flow passage 16 connecting a water feed port 12 with a resin accommodating section 10, a second stop valve 19 at a second flow passage 18 connecting a water exit port 13 with the resin accommodating section 10, and a third stop valve 21 at a third flow passage 20 connecting the water feed port 12 with the water exit port 13. Further, when any one water softener is at water flowing work, operation is performed so that the first stop valves 17 and the second stop valves 19 of other softeners are made into a closed state and the third stop valves 21 are made into an open state. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2006,JPO&NCIPI

Description

  The present invention relates to a soft water device that supplies soft water by ion exchange of hardness components in water, and more particularly to a soft water device that can supply soft water continuously for 24 hours.

  A steam boiler that is widely used as an industrial heat source heats water to generate steam, and raw water such as tap water, industrial water, and groundwater is used for this water. These raw waters usually contain hardness components such as calcium ions and magnesium ions. When raw water containing a hardness component is heated, a sparingly soluble scale is deposited on the heat transfer surface of the steam boiler, causing problems such as a decrease in efficiency and breakage. Therefore, it is necessary to remove the hardness component in the raw water in advance.

  Generally, a water softener in which a cation exchange resin is accommodated in a cylindrical resin accommodating portion is widely used for removing hardness components in raw water. This water softener is operated to pass raw water through the ion exchange resin layer to obtain soft water, and to regenerate the cation exchange resin capacity by passing the regenerated liquid through the ion exchange resin layer. A control valve is provided for switching between the flow paths. For example, Patent Document 1 describes a water softener equipped with a control valve capable of performing a backwashing process, a salt water introduction process, an extrusion process, a washing process, and a water replenishment process as regeneration operations.

  Conventionally, this type of water softener has been designed on the assumption that it is used by one unit. For the purpose of not stopping water-using equipment such as a steam boiler during regeneration operation, a bypass flow path is formed with a control valve, It is configured to send raw water. However, if raw water is used as it is, problems such as scale deposition occur. Therefore, the water softener regeneration operation is usually set to be performed during a time zone (for example, at night) when the water-using device is not operating. Incidentally, this regeneration operation is performed over about 2 to 3 hours. When the regeneration operation is completed, the operation is performed so that the water flow operation is performed again.

  By the way, when water-using equipment such as a steam boiler is operated day and night, since it is necessary to supply soft water continuously, a plurality of water softeners are installed. For example, Patent Document 2 describes a water softener having a configuration in which two water softeners are installed in parallel. By setting the regeneration operation of each water softener asynchronously, one of the water softeners is being regenerated. Even so, soft water is supplied from other water softeners. However, since the raw water is sent from the water softener during the regeneration operation through the bypass passage of the control valve, it is necessary to provide an external on-off valve on the secondary side of each water softener to shut off the raw water. Moreover, in parallel installation, since it is necessary to provide a branch pipe on the primary side of each water softener and to provide a junction pipe on the secondary side of each water softener, the structure of the water softener is complicated.

  A water softener having a configuration in which two water softeners are installed in series has also been implemented. In the water softener of this configuration, as in the case of parallel installation, by setting the regeneration operation of each water softener asynchronously, even if one of the water softeners is in the regeneration operation, soft water is supplied from the other water softener To be. Specifically, during the regeneration operation of the primary-side water softener, a bypass flow path is formed by the control valve of this water softener, and the secondary-side water softener is passed through to supply soft water. On the other hand, during the regeneration operation of the secondary water softener, a bypass flow path is formed by the control valve of the water softener, and the soft water is supplied by making the primary water softener pass through.

Since the configuration in which the water softeners are installed in series only connects the water softeners, the piping is simpler than the parallel installation. However, the conventional water softener can only perform a water flow operation when the regeneration operation is completed. For this reason, when one of the water softeners finishes the regeneration operation, the two water softeners are in a water-permeable state at the same time, and the water passes through the resin housings of all the water softeners, so the pressure loss during water flow increases. To do. In order to ensure a sufficient flow rate, it is often necessary to install a pressurizing pump. However, since the equipment cost increases, the actual situation is that adoption of series installation is less than parallel installation.

JP 2002-28646 A JP-A-8-309345

  The problem to be solved by the present invention is to reduce pressure loss during water flow in a water softener having a configuration in which a plurality of water softeners are installed in series.

  The present invention has been made to solve the above problems, and the invention according to claim 1 is a water softening device in which a plurality of water softeners each having a control valve for switching a flow path are installed in series. The valve includes a first opening / closing valve in a first flow path connecting the water supply inlet and the resin storage portion, and a second opening / closing valve in a second flow path connecting the water supply outlet and the resin storage portion, the water supply inlet And a third opening / closing valve in a third flow path connecting the water supply outlet.

  According to the first aspect of the present invention, in the control valve, when the third on-off valve is operated, a bypass flow path can be freely formed. For this reason, the water softener can be shifted to a standby state in which the flow of water to the resin container is blocked after the end of regeneration.

  Invention of Claim 2 is the operating method of the water softener of Claim 1, Comprising: At the time of water flow operation of any one water softener, said 1st on-off valve and said 2nd of another water softener The on-off valve is closed, and the third on-off valve is open.

  According to the second aspect of the present invention, when any one of the water softeners is operated, the other water softener is in a standby state in which the flow of water to the resin container is blocked and a bypass flow path is formed. It is driven to be in a state.

  Furthermore, the invention described in claim 3 is characterized in that when any one of the water softeners is operated, the other water softener is set in a regenerated state or a standby state.

  According to the third aspect of the present invention, when any one of the water softeners is operated, the other water softener is operated so as to be in a regeneration state or a standby state.

  According to this invention, each water softener installed in series can be operated without allowing water to pass into the resin container. For this reason, the pressure loss at the time of water flow can be reduced by operating so that one of the water softeners may be operated. In addition, the installation of the water softener is simple because it is only necessary to connect between the water softeners in addition to the connection of the raw water line and the treated water line.

Next, an embodiment of the present invention will be described. The water softener according to the present invention includes a first water softener and a second water softener. Each of the water softeners is composed of the same member, and switches between a resin container that contains a cation exchange resin, a water flow path, a regeneration flow path, and a standby flow path. And a control valve for. The control valve is provided with a water supply inlet, a water supply outlet, a salt water inlet, and a drain outlet.

  Here, each said water softener is installed in series. The water supply inlet of the first water softener is connected to a first supply line. The water supply outlet of the second water softener is connected to a second supply line. The water supply outlet of the first water softener is connected to the water supply inlet of the second water softener through a third supply line.

  In each of the water softeners, the control valve includes a first opening / closing valve in a first flow path connecting the water supply inlet and the resin storage portion, and a second flow path connecting the water supply outlet and the resin storage portion. And a third open / close valve in a third flow path connecting the water supply inlet and the water supply outlet. Further, in the control valve, the salt water inlet is connected to a salt water tank for storing regenerated salt water by a salt water line, and the drain outlet is connected to a drain line.

  Hereinafter, an operation method of the water softener of the present invention will be described. First, each of the water softeners is operated to perform a water flow operation, a regeneration operation, and a standby operation.

  In the water flow operation, the first on-off valve and the second on-off valve are opened, and the third on-off valve is closed. The raw water flows from the water supply inlet through the first flow path into the resin container, passes through the ion exchange resin layer, and becomes soft water. This soft water flows out to the water supply outlet through the second flow path.

  In the regeneration operation, the third on-off valve is opened. The raw water is bypassed from the water supply inlet through the third flow path and flows out to the water supply outlet. In this state, the first on-off valve and the second on-off valve have flow paths necessary for each process during the regeneration operation (for example, a backwash process, a salt water introduction process, an extrusion process, a washing process, a water replenishment process, etc.) Open and close to form.

  The standby operation is an operation state that is provided after the regeneration operation is completed and before the operation is shifted to the water flow operation. In this standby operation, the first on-off valve and the second on-off valve are closed, and the third on-off valve is opened. Supply water such as raw water bypasses from the water supply inlet through the third flow path and flows out to the water supply outlet without flowing into the resin housing portion.

  Next, in the water softener according to the present invention, the water softeners are switched and operated so that the water softeners do not operate at the same time. That is, when the first water softener is in a water passing operation, the second water softener is operated to perform a regeneration operation or a standby operation. On the other hand, when the second water softener is in a water passing operation, the first water softener is operated so as to perform a regeneration operation or a standby operation.

  Although the above-mentioned embodiment demonstrated the case where two water softeners were installed in series, it can implement similarly also when three or more water softeners are installed in series. That is, when a water softener is added in series with respect to the first water softener and the second water softener, and any one water softener is in water operation, the other water softener is operated to be regenerated or standby. drive.

  As described above, only one water softener always performs the water flow operation, and the water softener that has finished the regeneration operation shifts to the standby operation and does not send water to the resin container. Therefore, soft water can be continuously supplied without increasing the pressure loss of the water softener during water flow.

  Hereinafter, specific embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a schematic configuration diagram of a first embodiment of the present invention, and shows a case where two water softeners are installed in series. In FIG. 1, members having the same function or use are shown in common.

  The water softener 1 has a first water softener 2 and a second water softener 3 installed in series. Each of the water softeners 2 and 3 is composed of the same member, and includes a resin storage portion 10 that stores an ion exchange resin (not shown) and a control valve 11.

  The control valve 11 is for switching the water flow path, the regeneration flow path, and the standby flow path of each of the water softeners 2 and 3, and includes a water supply inlet 12, a water supply outlet 13, a salt water inlet 14 and a drain outlet 15 are provided. The water supply inlet 12 and the resin container 10 are connected by a first flow path 16, and the first flow path 16 includes a first on-off valve 17. The water supply outlet 13 and the resin container 10 are connected by a second flow path 18, and the second flow path 18 is provided with a second on-off valve 19. The water supply inlet 12 and the water supply outlet 13 are connected by a third flow path 20, and the third flow path 20 is provided with a third on-off valve 21.

  In the first flow path 16, a fourth flow path 22 is connected from the salt water inlet 14 between the first on-off valve 17 and the resin container 10. Four open / close valves 23 are provided. In the second flow path 18, a fifth flow path 24 is connected from the drain outlet 15 between the second on-off valve 19 and the resin container 10. A fifth on-off valve 25 is provided. Furthermore, between the first on-off valve 17 and the resin container 10 in the first flow path 16 and between the fifth on-off valve 25 and the drainage outlet 15 in the fifth flow path 24, a sixth flow The sixth flow path 26 is provided with a sixth open / close valve 27.

   The salt water inlet 14 is connected to a salt water tank 28 storing salt water for regenerating ion exchange resin (not shown) by a salt water line 29. A drain line 30 is connected to the drain outlet 15.

  A first water supply line 31 for supplying raw water such as tap water, industrial water, and groundwater is connected to the water supply inlet 12 of the first water softener 2. Connected to the water supply outlet 13 of the second water softener 3 is a second water supply line 32 for sending soft water to water-using equipment (not shown) such as a steam boiler. The water supply outlet 13 of the first water softener 2 is connected to the water supply inlet 12 of the second water softener 3 by a third water supply line 33.

  Incidentally, the first water supply line 31 is provided with an inlet hardness measuring means 40, and the second water supply line 32 is provided with an outlet hardness measuring means 41.

  The inlet hardness measuring means 40 is a measuring device for detecting the concentration of a hardness component contained in water supplied to the water softening device 1, and for example, a method for determining the concentration by color development when a reagent containing a dye is added. Etc. are used. In this method, a reagent is added to a transparent container (not shown) containing a predetermined amount of sample water, and the hue change of the sample water due to the reaction of the dye is measured from the absorbance when irradiated with light of a specific wavelength. And the density | concentration of the hardness component in sample water is determined based on this light absorbency. The determined concentration value of the hardness component is transmitted to a controller (not shown) of the water softener 1.

The outlet hardness measuring means 41 is a measuring apparatus that detects the concentration of the hardness component contained in the water that has passed through the water softening device 1. For example, a measuring device having the same principle as the inlet hardness measuring means 40 is applied. be able to.

  Now, the operation method of each of the water softeners 2 and 3 will be described in detail. Each of the water softeners 2 and 3 is controlled by a controller (not shown) so as to perform a water flow operation, a regeneration operation, and a standby operation in this order. After the standby operation, the water flow operation is performed again. Has been driven to.

  First, in the water flow operation, the first on-off valve 17 and the second on-off valve 19 are opened, and the third on-off valve 21, the fourth on-off valve 23, the fifth on-off valve 25, and the The six open / close valve 27 is closed. The raw water flows from the feed water inlet 12 through the first flow path 16 into the resin container 10 and passes through an ion exchange resin layer (not shown) in a downward flow to become soft water. The soft water flows out to the water supply outlet 13 through the second flow path 18.

  Here, the controller (not shown) calculates the remaining capacity of the ion exchange resin during the water flow operation, and determines the timing for shifting to the regeneration operation. Specifically, the product of the concentration of the hardness component in the raw water obtained by the inlet hardness measuring means 40 and the instantaneous flow rate obtained by a flow meter (not shown) provided in the second water supply line 32 is sequentially accumulated. Determine the amount of hardness component removed. Then, when the difference between the removed hardness component amount and the ability to recover by regeneration becomes a predetermined value (for example, zero), the regeneration operation is started. Further, when the entrance hardness measuring means 40 is not provided, the regeneration operation is performed when the integrated value of the water sampling amount becomes a predetermined value or more, or when the integrated operation time of the water use device (not shown) becomes a predetermined value or more. You may make it shift to.

  In the regeneration operation performed following the water flow operation, the five steps of the backwashing step, the salt water introduction step, the extrusion step, the washing step and the water replenishment step are usually performed in this order. During the regeneration operation, the third on-off valve 21 is opened to form a bypass flow path.

  In the backwashing step, the second on-off valve 19 and the sixth on-off valve 27 are opened, and the first on-off valve 17, the fourth on-off valve 23, and the fifth on-off valve 25 are closed. . The water that flows in from the water supply inlet 12 passes through the third flow path 20 and the second on-off valve 19 and flows into the resin housing portion 10. This water flows away from the drainage line 30 through the sixth flow path 26 to the drainage outlet 15 after washing away the accumulated pollutant while flowing in an ion exchange resin layer (not shown) in an upward flow. Drained into If this backwashing process is implemented for the predetermined time, it will transfer to a salt water introduction process.

  In the salt water introduction step, the first on-off valve 17, the fourth on-off valve 23, and the fifth on-off valve 25 are opened, and the second on-off valve 19 and the sixth on-off valve 27 are closed. . The water that flows in from the water supply inlet 12 flows into the resin accommodating part 10 through the first flow path 16. At this time, salt water (for example, a saturated aqueous solution of sodium chloride) is supplied from the salt water tank 28 through the salt water line 29. This salt water flows into the fourth flow path 22 from the salt water inlet 14 and mixes with the water flowing into the resin container 10. This diluted salt water regenerates the ion exchange resin while flowing down the ion exchange resin layer (not shown) to restore its ability. The salt water that has passed through the ion exchange resin layer flows through the fifth flow path 24 to the drain outlet 15 and is drained out of the system from the drain line 30. When this salt water introduction process is performed for a predetermined time, the process proceeds to the extrusion process.

In the extrusion step, the fourth open / close valve 23 opened in the salt water introduction step is closed, and the supply of salt water is stopped. The other on-off valves 17, 19, 25, 27 are in the same state as in the salt water introduction step. The water that flows in from the water supply inlet 12 flows into the resin accommodating part 10 through the first flow path 16. This water pushes the salt water staying while flowing down the ion exchange resin layer (not shown) to the lowermost layer of the ion exchange resin layer, thereby further restoring the ability of the ion exchange resin. The salt water that has passed through the ion exchange resin layer flows through the fifth flow path 24 to the drain outlet 15 and is drained out of the system from the drain line 30. When this extrusion process is carried out for a predetermined time, the process proceeds to a cleaning process.

  In the cleaning process, the on-off valves 17, 19, 23, 25, and 27 are in the same state as the extrusion process. The water that flows in from the water supply inlet 12 flows into the resin accommodating part 10 through the first flow path 16. This water completely rinses away the remaining salt while flowing down the ion exchange resin layer (not shown). The water that has passed through the ion exchange resin layer flows through the fifth flow path 24 to the drain outlet 15 and is drained out of the system from the drain line 30. If this washing process is carried out for a predetermined time, the process proceeds to a water replenishment process.

  In the water replenishment step, the first on-off valve 17 and the fourth on-off valve 23 are opened, and the second on-off valve 19, the fifth on-off valve 25, and the sixth on-off valve 27 are closed. The water that flows in from the water supply inlet 12 flows to the salt water inlet 14 through the first flow path 16 and the fourth flow path 22. This water is further supplied to the salt water tank 28 through the salt water line 29. The water supplied to the salt water tank 28 dissolves the stored regenerated salt and prepares for the next regeneration. When this water replenishment process is completed, the operation is shifted to the standby operation.

  In the standby operation, the third on-off valve 21 is opened to form a bypass flow path, and the other on-off valves 17, 19, 23, 25, 27 are closed. That is, during the standby operation, the water that has flowed from the water supply inlet 12 flows to the water supply outlet 13 through the third flow path 20 without flowing toward the resin container 10.

  Next, the switching operation of the water softeners 2 and 3 will be described. This operation is for continuously softening the raw water, and is basically based on the operation of always passing one of the two water softeners.

  First, at the same time that the first water softener 2 is operated to flow, the second water softener 3 is shifted to a regeneration operation to recover the capacity of the ion exchange resin (not shown). In this state, the raw water supplied from the first water supply line 31 passes through the water supply inlet 12, the first flow path 16 and the resin container 10 of the first water softener 2 in this order, and is softened. Further, it flows to the third water supply line 33 through the second flow path 18 and the water supply outlet 13. The soft water flowing through the third water supply line 33 continues to pass through the water supply inlet 12, the third flow path 20 and the water supply outlet 13 of the second water softener 3 in this order, and then passes through the second water supply line 32. It is supplied to water-using equipment (not shown) (hereinafter referred to as “operating state A”).

  In the operation state A, when the second water softener 3 is in the back washing process, the soft water flowing through the third flow path 20 is transferred to the second flow path 18, the resin container 10, and the sixth flow path 26. , Pass through the fifth flow path 24 and the drain outlet 15 in this order, and drain from the drain line 30 to the outside of the system. When the second water softener 3 is any one of the salt water introduction process, the extrusion process, and the water washing process, the soft water flowing through the third flow path 20 flows into the first flow path 16, the resin container 10, and the fifth flow. The water passes through the passage 24 and the drain outlet 15 in this order, and is drained from the drain line 30 to the outside of the system. When the second water softener 3 is in the water replenishing step, the soft water flowing through the third flow path 20 passes through the first flow path 16, the fourth flow path 22, the 22, and the salt water inlet 14 in this order. It passes through and is supplied to the salt water tank 28 from the salt water line 29.

The regeneration operation of the second water softener 3 is usually performed over about 2 to 3 hours, and when this regeneration operation is completed, the operation is shifted to a standby operation. At this time, the first water softener 2 continues the water passing operation. In this state, the raw water supplied from the first water supply line 31 passes through the water supply inlet 12, the first flow path 16 and the resin container 10 of the first water softener 2 in this order, and is softened. Further, it flows to the third water supply line 33 through the second flow path 18 and the water supply outlet 13. The soft water flowing through the third water supply line 33 continues to pass through the water supply inlet 12, the third flow path 20 and the water supply outlet 13 of the second water softener 3 in this order, and then passes through the second water supply line 32. It is supplied to water-using equipment (not shown) (hereinafter referred to as “operating state B”).

  In the controller (not shown), the remaining capacity of the first water softener 2 is calculated. When this capacity is lost, the first water softener 2 is shifted from the water operation to the regeneration operation, and The second water softener 3 is shifted from the standby operation to the water flow operation. In this state, the raw water supplied from the first water supply line 31 passes through the water supply inlet 12, the third flow path 20, and the water supply outlet 13 of the first water softener 2 in this order, and the third water supply It flows to the water supply line 33. The raw water flowing through the third water supply line 33 is subsequently softened by passing through the water supply inlet 12, the first flow path 16 and the resin container 10 of the second water softener 3 in this order. The water passes through the passage 18 and the water supply outlet 13 in this order, and is supplied to a water-using device (not shown) through the second water supply line 32 (hereinafter referred to as an operation state C).

  In the operation state C, when the first water softener 2 is in the back washing process, the raw water flowing through the third flow path 20 is the second flow path 18, the resin container 10, and the sixth flow path 26. , Pass through the fifth flow path 24 and the drain outlet 15 in this order, and drain from the drain line 30 to the outside of the system. When the first water softener 2 is any one of the salt water introduction process, the extrusion process, and the water washing process, the raw water flowing through the third flow path 20 is the first flow path 16, the resin container 10, the fifth flow. The water passes through the passage 24 and the drain outlet 15 in this order, and is drained from the drain line 30 to the outside of the system. When the first water softener 2 is in the water replenishment step, the raw water flowing through the third flow path 20 passes through the first flow path 16, the fourth flow path 22, and the 22 and the salt water inlet 14 in this order. It passes through and is supplied to the salt water tank 28 from the salt water line 29.

  The regeneration operation of the first water softener 2 is performed over about 2 to 3 hours, and when this regeneration operation is completed, the operation is shifted to a standby operation. At this time, the second water softener 3 continues the water flow operation. In this state, the raw water supplied from the first water supply line 31 sequentially passes through the water supply inlet 12, the third flow path 20, and the water supply outlet 13 of the first water softener 2, and the third water supply line. It flows to 33. The raw water flowing through the third water supply line 33 continues to pass through the water supply inlet 12, the first flow path 16 and the resin container 10 of the second water softener 3 in this order and is softened. The soft water passes through the second flow path 18 and the water supply outlet 13 in this order, and is supplied to water-using equipment (not shown) through the second water supply line 32 (hereinafter referred to as an operation state D). .

  In the controller (not shown), the remaining capacity of the second water softener 3 is calculated. When this capacity is lost, the second water softener 3 is shifted from the water operation to the regeneration operation, and The first water softener 2 is shifted from the standby operation to the water flow operation. That is, the operation state A is set again.

  As described above, soft water can be continuously supplied to water-using equipment by repeatedly performing the operation state A to the operation state D in order.

  Next, a second embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIG. In FIG. 2, the same reference numerals as those in the first embodiment denote the same members, and detailed description thereof will be omitted.

Now, the water softener 1 shown in FIG. 2 is configured to be backed up when one of the water softeners breaks down, and a third water softener 4 is further connected in series on the secondary side of the second water softener 3. It is installed. The third water softener 4 has the same configuration as each of the water softeners 2 and 3 and has already been described in the first embodiment.

  Here, the connection of the water softeners 2, 3, and 4 will be described. A first water supply line 31 for supplying raw water such as tap water, industrial water, and groundwater is connected to the water supply inlet 12 of the first water softener 2. Connected to the water supply outlet 13 of the third water softener 4 is a second water supply line 32 for sending soft water to a water-using device (not shown) such as a steam boiler. The water supply outlet 13 of the first water softener 2 is connected to the water supply inlet 12 of the second water softener 3 by a third water supply line 33. Further, the water supply outlet 13 of the second water softener 3 is connected to the water supply inlet 12 of the third water softener 4 by a fourth water supply line 34.

  Each of the water softeners 2, 3, and 4 in the above-described configuration is operated by a controller (not shown) so as to perform a water flow operation, a regeneration operation, and a standby operation in this order. Perform water flow operation. The actions of the water flow operation, the regeneration operation, and the standby operation are as described in the first embodiment.

  Next, the switching operation of the water softeners 2, 3 and 4 will be described. This operation is for continuously softening the raw water, and is based on the operation of always passing one of the three water softeners.

  First, at the same time that the first water softener 2 is operated to flow, the second water softener 3 is shifted to a regeneration operation to recover the capacity of the ion exchange resin (not shown). Further, the third water softener 4 is made to stand by in preparation for passing water. In this state, the raw water supplied from the first water supply line 31 passes through the water supply inlet 12, the first flow path 16, and the resin container 10 of the first water softener 2 in this order, and is softened. Furthermore, it passes through the second flow path 18 and the water supply outlet 13 in this order and flows to the third water supply line 33. Soft water flowing through the third water supply line 33 passes through the water supply inlet 12, the third flow path 20, and the water supply outlet 13 of the second water softener 3 in this order, and then flows to the fourth water supply line 34. The soft water flowing through the fourth water supply line 34 continues to pass through the water supply inlet 12, the third flow path 20 and the water supply outlet 13 of the third water softener 4 in this order, and then passes through the second water supply line 32. It is supplied to water-using equipment (not shown) (hereinafter referred to as “operating state E”).

  In the operation state E, when the second water softener 3 is in the backwash process, the soft water flowing through the third flow path 20 is transferred to the second flow path 18, the resin container 10, and the sixth flow path 26. , Pass through the fifth flow path 24 and the drain outlet 15 in this order, and drain from the drain line 30 to the outside of the system. When the second water softener 3 is any one of the salt water introduction process, the extrusion process, and the water washing process, the soft water flowing through the third flow path 20 flows into the first flow path 16, the resin container 10, and the fifth flow. The water passes through the passage 24 and the drain outlet 15 in this order, and is drained from the drain line 30 to the outside of the system. When the second water softener 3 is in the water replenishing step, the soft water flowing through the third flow path 20 passes through the first flow path 16, the fourth flow path 22, the 22, and the salt water inlet 14 in this order. It passes through and is supplied to the salt water tank 28 from the salt water line 29.

  The regeneration operation of the second water softener 3 is performed over about 2 to 3 hours, and when this regeneration operation is completed, the operation is shifted to a standby operation. At this time, the first water softener 2 continues the water passing operation and the third water softener 4 continues the standby operation. In this state, the flow of water supplied to the water-using device (not shown) is the same as in the operation state E (hereinafter referred to as operation state F).

In the controller (not shown) of the water softener 1, the remaining capacity of the first water softener 2 is calculated. When this capacity is lost, the first water softener 2 is changed from the water operation to the regeneration operation. While making it transfer, the said 3rd water softener 4 is changed to a water flow operation from a standby operation. At this time, the second water softener 3 has finished the regeneration operation and is in a standby state. In this state, the raw water supplied from the first water supply line 31 passes through the water supply inlet 12, the third flow path 20, and the water supply outlet 13 of the first water softener 2 in this order, and the third water supply It flows to the water supply line 33. The raw water flowing through the third water supply line 33 sequentially passes through the water supply inlet 12, the third flow path 20, and the water supply outlet 13 of the second water softener 3 and flows to the fourth water supply line 34. The raw water flowing through the fourth water supply line 34 continues to pass through the water supply inlet 12, the first flow path 16, and the resin container 10 of the third water softener 4 in this order to be softened. The soft water passes through the second flow path 18 and the water supply outlet 13 in this order, and is supplied to a water use device (not shown) through the second water supply line 32 (hereinafter referred to as an operation state G). .

  In the operating state G, when the first water softener 2 is in the backwash process, the raw water flowing through the third flow path 20 is the second flow path 18, the resin container 10, and the sixth flow path 26. , Pass through the fifth flow path 24 and the drain outlet 15 in this order, and drain from the drain line 30 to the outside of the system. When the first water softener 2 is any one of the salt water introduction process, the extrusion process, and the water washing process, the raw water flowing through the third flow path 20 is the first flow path 16, the resin container 10, the fifth flow. The water passes through the passage 24 and the drain outlet 15 in this order, and is drained from the drain line 30 to the outside of the system. When the first water softener 2 is in the water replenishment step, the raw water flowing through the third flow path 20 passes through the first flow path 16, the fourth flow path 22, and the 22 and the salt water inlet 14 in this order. It passes through and is supplied to the salt water tank 28 from the salt water line 29.

  The regeneration operation of the first water softener 2 is performed over about 2 to 3 hours, and when this regeneration operation is completed, the operation is shifted to a standby operation. At this time, the second water softener 3 continues the standby operation, and the third water softener 4 continues the water passing operation. In this state, the flow of water supplied to the water-using device (not shown) is the same as in the operation state G (hereinafter referred to as the operation state H).

  In the controller, the remaining capacity of the third water softener 4 is calculated. When the remaining capacity is lost, the third water softener 4 is shifted from the water operation to the regeneration operation, and the The two water softeners 3 are shifted from the standby operation to the water operation. At this time, the first water softener 2 has finished the regeneration operation and is in a standby state. In this state, the raw water supplied from the first water supply line 31 passes through the water supply inlet 12, the third flow path 20, and the water supply outlet 13 of the first water softener 2 in this order, and the third water supply It flows to the water supply line 33. The raw water flowing through the third water supply line 33 passes through the water supply inlet 12, the first flow path 16, and the resin container 10 of the second water softener 3 in this order and is softened. 18 and the water supply outlet 13 in this order and flow to the fourth water supply line 34. The soft water flowing through the fourth water supply line 34 passes through the water supply inlet 12, the third flow path 20, and the water supply outlet 13 of the third water softener 4 in this order, and passes through the second water supply line 32. Supplied to a used device (not shown) (hereinafter referred to as an operating state I).

  In the operation state I, when the third water softener 4 is in the back washing process, the soft water flowing through the third flow path 20 is transferred to the second flow path 18, the resin container 10, and the sixth flow path 26. , Pass through the fifth flow path 24 and the drain outlet 15 in this order, and drain from the drain line 30 to the outside of the system. When the third water softener 4 is any one of the salt water introduction process, the extrusion process, and the water washing process, the soft water flowing through the third flow path 20 is the first flow path 16, the resin container 10, the fifth flow. The water passes through the passage 24 and the drain outlet 15 in this order, and is drained from the drain line 30 to the outside of the system. When the third water softener 4 is in the water replenishment process, the soft water flowing through the third flow path 20 passes through the first flow path 16, the fourth flow path 22, and the 22 and the salt water inlet 14 in this order. It passes through and is supplied to the salt water tank 28 from the salt water line 29.

  The regeneration operation of the third water softener 4 is performed over about 2 to 3 hours, and when this regeneration operation is completed, the operation is shifted to a standby operation. At this time, the first water softener 2 continues the standby operation, and the second water softener 3 continues the water passing operation. In this state, the flow of water supplied to the water-using device (not shown) is the same as in the operation state I (hereinafter referred to as operation state J).

  In the controller, the remaining capacity of the second water softener 3 is calculated. When the remaining capacity is lost, the second water softener 3 is shifted from the water operation to the regeneration operation, and the second The water softener 2 is shifted from the standby operation to the water operation. At this time, the third water softener 4 has finished the regeneration operation and is in a standby state. That is, the operation state E is set again.

  As described above, soft water can be continuously supplied to water-using equipment by repeatedly performing the operation state E to the operation state J in order. Further, in the configuration of the second embodiment, since the water softener whose capacity has been recovered is always in a standby state, even if any of the water softeners breaks down, the supply stop of the soft water can be prevented.

1 is a schematic configuration diagram of a first embodiment of the present invention. It is a schematic block diagram of 2nd Example of this invention.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Soft water apparatus 10 Resin accommodating part 11 Control valve 12 Water supply inlet 13 Water supply outlet 16 1st flow path 17 1st on-off valve 18 2nd flow path 19 2nd on-off valve 20 3rd flow path 21 3rd on-off valve

Claims (3)

A water softener 1 in which a plurality of water softeners each having a control valve 11 for switching a flow path are installed in series,
The control valve 11 includes a first opening / closing valve 17 in a first flow path 16 that connects the water supply inlet 12 and the resin container 10.
A second opening / closing valve 19 is provided in the second flow path 18 that connects the water supply outlet 13 and the resin container 10,
A water softening device comprising a third opening / closing valve 21 in a third flow path 20 connecting the water supply inlet 12 and the water supply outlet 13. It is a driving | running method of the water softener 1 of Claim 1, Comprising:
When one of the water softeners is operated to flow, the first on-off valve 17 and the second on-off valve 19 of the other water softener are closed and the third on-off valve 21 is opened. A method of operating a water softener characterized by the above.   The method of operating a water softener according to claim 2, wherein when one of the water softeners is operated to pass water, the other water softener is brought into a regeneration state or a standby state.

Images